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Roebourne
The townsite of Roebourne is located
in the Pilbara region, 1563 km north of Perth and 40 km east of Karratha.
The Pilbara region was first explored by F T Gregory in 1861, the
area being regarded by Gregory as highly suitable for pastoral settlement.
The first settlers arrived in the Roebourne area in 1863, and in 1866
the townsite of Roebourne was gazetted. The name of the townsite honours
John Septimus Roe, Western Australia's first Surveyor General.
John Septimus Roe(1797-1878) was
a naval officer, surveyor and explorer. He was born on 8 May 1797
in Berkshire, England, becoming a midshipman in the Royal Navy in
1813. In 1817 Roe was posted as a Master's Mate to the surveying service
in NSW and took part in numerous coastal surveys. He became a Lieutenant
in 1823. In June 1829 he arrived in WA to take up the position of
Surveyor General (which he held for the next 40 years). Roe was influential
in Western Australia's development. Records of 16 journeys of exploration
by Roe exist. He was responsible for inspiring the likes of John and
Alexander Forrest and the Gregory brothers. He retired in 1870 and
died on 28 May 1878.
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